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Easy Cucumber Tomato Salad with a balsamic dressing is a refreshing and healthy dish that is easy to make and packed with flavor? This dish is perfect for a summer barbecue, a light lunch, or as a side dish for any meal.

Not only is this cucumber and tomato salad delicious, but it is also packed with health benefits. Cucumbers are low in calories but high in nutrients, including vitamin C and fiber. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. If you are in the mood for some antipasto, check out this recipe Easy Vegetarian Antipasto.

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SIS Tip – Simple is Smart Tip.

This recipe includes sliced or diced red onions. Red onions can be hot and spicy if they don’t get enough water when they are growing. If your red onion is too spicy, slice it into very thin slices and pickle the onion before you add it to the salad. Here is a quick and easy Pickled Red Onion recipe.

Neuro Nutrition Nugget

Even though cucumbers might appear unremarkable, they offer a lot more than just hydration. This vegetable contains a range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and electrolytes, most of which are found in its peel and seeds.

Technically, cucumbers are fruits and belong to the cucurbitaceae family, which includes other foods such as watermelon, courgette, and pumpkin.

Although cucumbers are not widely known as superfoods, they have been a part of Indian traditional medicine for centuries. Cucumbers have been found to offer numerous benefits, including brain health. They contain a flavonoid called fisetin, which research has shown can protect nerve cells, boost memory, and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

The combination of nutrients found in cucumbers can provide benefits such as improved hydration, weight loss, digestion, and gut health.

Ingredients for Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumbers: I use either English cucumbers and remove the seeds or mini cucumbers and don’t remove the seeds.
Tomatoes: A garden-fresh beefsteak is the best. However, in the winter, the grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half are good.
Red Onions: A medium red onion or sweet onion. I like to pickle the onion the day before because it adds a pretty color to the salad.
Fresh Basil: If you don’t have fresh Basil use some Italian parsley to add color and add a tsp. of dried basil to the dressing

Vinegarette Dressing:

Olive Oil: use extra virgin olive oil.
Aged Balsamic Vinegar: The more Balsamic Vinegar is aged the sweeter it becomes. I use a 25 year aged vinegar.
Roasted Garlic Cloves: How to Roast Garlic. Roast the garlic and store the roasted cloves in olive oil in the fridge. Don’t store at room temperature.
Dijon Mustard: If you don’t have Dijon, use spicy brown mustard.
Black Pepper: to taste
Dried Oregano: You can use 1 Tbsp. Fresh diced Oregano.
Mozzarella Pearls – This salad is Vegan without the Mozzarella. You can also dice up a larger ball of mozzarella.

Step by Step Instructions:

Instructions for Cucumber Tomato Salad

Peel the cucumber, cut the peeled cucumber in half, and scoop out the seeds. If the seeds are tiny, you can leave them in the cucumber. Then slice each cucumber half into about 1/2 inch-thick, half-moon slices.
Dice the tomato, or cut the grape tomatoes in half if you are using grape tomatoes.
Finely chop the basil.

Make the Vinegarette

Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to a small bowl. Add the garlic, mustard, black pepper, and oregano.
Whisk to combine
Pour over the cucumbers and tomatoes.

Finish and Serve the Cucumber Tomato Salad

Toss the cucumbers and tomatoes together
Add the optional mini mozzarella pearls.
Toss to combine
Sprinkle with the Fresh chopped Basil
Serve immediately
This salad is best eaten on the first day. You can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for one to two days max.

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